


the passion flower has bloomed

by thebigolive



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Acting!Au, F L U F F, Fluff, M/M, No Angst, actor!Oikawa, and the other three are stage crew members, basically oikawa is an actor, correction, for once theyre not oblivious!!, i know nothing abt theater, i know very little abt theater, iwaoi - Freeform, nope - Freeform, stage crew!third years, the rundown: i love them, third years until i die
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-18
Updated: 2017-07-18
Packaged: 2018-12-03 15:17:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,657
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11534904
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thebigolive/pseuds/thebigolive
Summary: "He totally just winked at you." Hanamaki states gleefully."What the fuck." Iwaizumi repeats, with emotion.Matsukawa sighs.--or, tooru is an up-and-coming actor and makki, mattsun, and "iwa-chan" (god, iwaizumi thinks he might die) are part of the theater's stage crew.





	the passion flower has bloomed

**Author's Note:**

> my first work in this fandom!! iwaoi is honestly,,, one of my favorite things so basically i hope i did them justice
> 
> kudos to matsuhana for being the Ultimate Wingmen in this fic :''')
> 
> i love my seijoh boys i just, adore them
> 
> also disclaimer: i know very little about theater so i apologize for any inaccuracies why did i choose this au again??????
> 
> but i hope you guys enjoy and thank you for giving my fic a chance!! love yall

Hajime is cleaning the props room when it happens.

 

Issei, self-proclaimed asshole extraordinaire, bursts into the half-cleaned room, out of breath.

 

"Issei." It's a statement of disappointment.

 

"Hajime, listen, you've gotta hear this. You know Oikawa Tooru, that guy that's starting to get real famous for acting? He's going to perform a few shows at our theater." Issei explains, right as Takahiro saunters in smugly.

 

"Oh? Issei, how could our darling Hajime know _anything_ about beloved Oikawa?" He simpers, placing a hand on Issei's shoulder. Hajime pins him down with his glare (lovingly named the Golden Glower by Issei, although not much about it was very golden at all).

 

"Takahiro, I have nothing to say to you right now. Issei, thank you for the information. Now, if you'll excuse me. I need to _clean._ "

 

Takahiro makes his way out slowly, teasing Hajime the entire way. He is rewarded with a crude gesture. Issei reverts to his go-to expression (one of sleepiness and boredom, although Hajime detects the glitter of amusement in his eyes).

 

"He arrives the day after tomorrow!" Takahiro calls over his shoulder. Hajime chucks a particularly ugly feathery hat at him, and the cackles can be heard down the hallway.

 

* * *

 

 

Hajime thinks that if his death doesn't come today, it's too long overdue.

 

Oikawa Tooru flounces into the theater at five in the morning sharp, setting down his Starbucks and immediately taking a selfie.

 

(Later, Hajime will see that it's been posted on Instagram, captioned "new theater!!!!!! excited to see where it takes me!!!! ٩( 'ω' )و". As per usual, he looks like he's walked straight out of hair and makeup in New York. It pisses Hajime off.)

 

"Um." Hajime coughs, fixing Oikawa with a stare when he turns. "Your dressing room is over here. If you want to follow me."

 

"Ooh! What's your name? Are you a fellow actor? We'll have so much fun together!"

 

Hajime decides then and there that he's had enough of this man already.

 

"No. I'm part of stage crew." Hajime states gruffly. Oikawa visibly deflates, sipping his coffee sadly.

 

"Well, at least tell me your name!" Oikawa exclaims, flinging his arms out for dramatic effect.

 

"Iwaizumi." Hajime says shortly, already stalking off in the direction of the dressing room. Oikawa makes a thinking noise before snapping his fingers.

 

"Oh! I can call you Iwa-chan!" Oikawa says excitedly. Hajime stops in his tracks.

 

"Don't call me that, Shittykawa." Hajime states. He hears the scandalized gasp loud and clear.

 

"Iwa-chan! We just met! Hold off on the insults!" Oikawa exclaims, pouting. He passes a trash can and throws his empty coffee cup away, so he can cross his arms for the full effect. Hajime decides that the best route of action is to just ignore the obnoxious brunet.

 

It makes itself known in a record time of two seconds that no, it is not the best route of action. If anything, it aggravates Oikawa's obnoxiousness even further. Said actor drapes himself across Hajime's broad shoulders, placing a dramatic hand over his forehead.

 

"Iwa-chan, if my room is this far away, how will I be able to handle the walk over every day? I'm dying from walking already!" Oikawa whines, letting Hajime drag him a few feet as he steadily plows on.

 

"Okay, Shittykawa, I'll strike you a deal. I'm going to introduce you to two of the other people that work here, Hanamaki and Matsukawa. They're much more exciting than I am and you'll get a kick out of their personalities. Plus, you can leave me alone. Deal?" Hajime grumbles, already plotting his escape from the actor.

 

"But Iwa-chan," Oikawa says, acting stressed, "I want to be with _you_." Hajime rolls his eyes and (finally) opens the door to Oikawa's dressing room.

 

"Here's your room. We start rehearsal tomorrow. You have the schedule, right?" Hajime asks, lingering in the doorway as Oikawa explores.

 

"Of course, Iwa-chan! I'll see you tomorrow!" Oikawa exclaims, waving daintily to Hajime. Hajime takes that as a goodbye and waves briefly back, before leaving.

 

* * *

 

When Hajime wakes up that morning, he remembers a crucial detail he forgot to acknowledge yesterday. Issei and Takahiro are probably cooking up something fully embarrassing on Hajime's part for the first practice of the show. It's sort of become a tradition by now. Hajime, already done with the day as a whole (and it hasn't even started), decides that a cup of coffee is a good way to start emotional preparation.

 

When he picks up his phone, he's surprised to see a barrage of texts from an unknown number. They evolve in this manner:

 

Unknown: _excited to start practice with u tmrw!!!!!!!!!!! :D_

 

Unknown: _omg iwachan u gotta take some selfies with me i want to see that grumpy face of urs hahaha_

 

Unknown: _iwachan why won't u answer me :(((_

 

Unknown: _i bet ur asleep!!! so responsible iwachan!!!! see u tmrw!!! (_ ๑ _˃̵ᴗ˂̵_ _)_

 

Hajime, taking an educated guess, puts the number under a new contact, "Oikawa Tooru". Basic, he knows, but from the little he's gotten to know Oikawa, he's not very excited to deepen the friendship. There's also a text from Issei, surprisingly.

 

Issei: _BOY!!!!! YOU ARE NOT READY FOR THE LEVEL OF STRESS ABOUT TO SWEEP OUR THEATER THIS IS OUR BIGGEST SHOW YET WITH OIKAWA BEING HERE_

 

Hajime chuckles into his coffee and replies.

 

Me: _i'll try to comprehend._

 

Sighing as he finishes the last of his dark roast, Hajime decides it's probably a good idea to respond to Oikawa or it's likely that the number of texts from aforementioned man will double.

 

Me: _hello, oikawa. can i ask how you got my number?_

 

The typing bubble appears almost immediately, and Hajime is briefly amused as he watches it disappear and appear more than once before he finally receives the message.

 

Oikawa: _OMG IWACHAN!!!!!!! i got it from makki!!!!!! :D_

 

Hajime wonders who "Makki" is until it hits him that Oikawa's referring to Takahiro. He must have made up nicknames for literally everyone in the theater. Deciding to leave the conversation at that, at least until they both saw each other at the theater, Hajime shuffles back to his bedroom to get ready for the day.

 

* * *

 

When Hajime arrives at the theater, the back door is locked, which is a little surprising but nothing he doesn't expect on this particular day. He walks through the main doors, using the key all crew members receive for emergencies (although Issei and Takahiro had bribed him into spending time there late at night before). He walks slowly, hoping that there's not a bucket of water perched on a ledge somewhere. He wants to check the stage first, just because it's usually where most of the "MatsuHana" shenanigans occur. As he pushes open the doors to the seating, it occurs to him, not for the first time, that his friends are complete idiots.

 

A sign is being displayed (damn Issei and his knowledge of stage controls), loud and proud, with "HAJIME IS GAY" painted across it in bright blue lettering. It's decorated (thank you, Takahiro) beautifully with paint and glitter, but Hajime thinks Seijoh Theater has never seen such dark days. He decides to confront the issue right away, seeing as he can hear the poorly muffled snickers coming from stage left.

 

"Hajime is _literally always_ gay!" He shouts, strolling down the aisle. The snickers turn into full-blown laughter.

 

"Oh, man, Hajime, you're a blessing to the world." Takahiro says, wiping tears from his eyes.

 

"I'm not really impressed by this, though. You've done way better. Losing your creativity?" Hajime teases. Issei scoffs.

 

"Listen, punk, you don't know how this neighborhood works." Issei says, maintaining a straight face. "You best not show your face here again."

 

Takahiro stares. Then, he snorts.

 

"Issei, you good? You seem even more tired than usual. Your sense of humor is flying down the drain at unprecedented rates." He snarks, watching Issei's expression grow a tad bit more irritated.

 

" _You'll_ fly down the drain at unprecedented rates if you don't _shut up._ " Issei snaps, though without any real malice.

 

Hajime sighs. It's difficult to communicate with them when they're like this, so he decides to set his bag down first.

 

That is, until he hears a delighted gasp.

 

"Oh, _Iwa-chan_ , what a dramatic way to come out! So proud of you for your bravery!" Oikawa squeals (yes, squeals), making his way down the aisle.

 

As if the situation couldn't get any less bearable.

 

"Shittykawa, shut it!" Hajime yells, trying to locate a ladder to take the sign down. Takahiro and Issei continue bickering in increasingly indecipherable language (memes?). Oikawa just laughs.

 

"Oh, Iwa-chan, you know I love you! Look, I even brought you a coffee!" Oikawa grins, waving the to-go cup holder that currently has three coffees squished into it. Oikawa himself holds another, delicately sipping on it. Takahiro and Issei stop tossing insults for a brief moment as they greedily snatch their own coffees. Which leaves Hajime's.

 

It's a vanilla latte. Of course. Except, not really "of course" because how did Oikawa know that it was Hajime's favorite caffeinated drink?

 

"Being friends with Makki and Mattsun has its perks!" Oikawa says brightly, seemingly predicting the question that had popped into Hajime's head. "I'm so glad to be working with you guys, so I thought I'd get us all some coffee for the first day of practice!"

 

Hajime stares, taking the tiniest sip of his latte. It's pretty damn good.

 

"Whatever, Stupidkawa." Hajime relents, stalking away from stupid Oikawa with his stupid delicious latte. He flips off Takahiro and Issei as they coo exaggeratedly (of course, only Hajime can hear). Oikawa lets out a petulant huff.

 

* * *

 

Oikawa, as Hajime finds out, is very passionate about what he does.

 

It's only the first day of rehearsal, and they're just going over the lines and the blocking to go along with it, but Oikawa continues to experiment with voice fluctuations and different dramatic gestures. Hajime fiddles with the lights and figures out where they need to be and when, which leads to most of the actors ignoring where the spotlight lands.

 

Oikawa, being the drama king he is, pouted before his lines if the spotlight wasn't directly on him. This was only for the first part of the practice, though, and after, he became so intrigued with the plot of the play that he stopped paying attention to the lights too (something Hajime was immensely thankful for).

 

Something happens once they've finished with the once-over. Oikawa swings his free arm out, sings the last line of the play, and Hajime manages to land the spotlight on Oikawa with perfect timing. The combined energy that Oikawa sends out and the glare of the spotlight does something impressive, and Hajime senses a little flutter in his chest. There's something about Oikawa, smiling proudly as he's bathed in light, that strikes a chord in Hajime's chest.

 

* * *

 

Hajime thinks that the play will be the death of the stage crew.

 

Since it's both a more complicated production and the star actor is _the_ Oikawa Tooru, the theater has decided to make the effects more impressive. Impressive as they may be, it means more blood, sweat, and tears on the stage crew's side. Hajime's hands hurt from handling so many lights at once, Issei constantly complains about the work that's being done to the stage, and they both think that Takahiro's going to pass out onto a half-painted prop sometime soon. They're definitely being worked hard, although Hajime has nothing to complain about. It's what he loves, and there's nothing quite like seeing the actors' efforts paying off, illuminated by golden light.

 

Hajime decides to stop that train of thought before he gets too poetic.

 

There's also a handful of newbies, and although none have decided to pursue lighting, Issei's got his hands full with an enthusiastic kid named Kindaichi. Takahiro's been teaching someone stoic, whose name is Kunimi.

 

Yahaba Shigeru, the head makeup artist, is teaching someone who Oikawa nicknamed "Mad Dog". His real name, Kyoutani Kentarou, is a mouthful, according to Oikawa, and the nickname fits his personality, so.

 

The days continue to pass, and the twinge in Hajime's chest every time Oikawa smiles in that soft golden glow gets harder and harder to ignore.

 

* * *

 

Until, one day, Hajime wakes up and there's a text waiting for him. It's from Tooru (apparently they're on a first name basis now? Tooru still likes to call Hajime "Iwa-chan", though).

 

Tooru: _iwachan!!!! meet me @ the café by the theater for coffee and breakfast at 7am!!! cya there_ ٩ _( 'ω' )_ و

 

Hajime pinches his brow, sighs, and responds.

 

Me: _shittykawa, didn't i tell you not to force people into plans????_

 

Tooru: _iwachan!!! so mean!!! does this mean u aren't coming? :(_

 

Me: _don't assume things, stupidkawa._

 

Hajime gets ready for the day, fingers hovering over the coffee pot before remembering he doesn't need it, and leaves at 6:45 sharp.

 

When he arrives, Tooru is waiting, a to-go cup filled with some sort of coffee sitting between his hands. A vanilla latte in the same cup sits across from him.

 

"Iwa-chan!" Tooru squeals, and Hajime makes a shushing noise before sitting down.

 

"Tooru." He greets.

 

"Iwa-chan, are you ready for the production? I'm ready for you to make me shine!" Oikawa loudly proclaims, using his hand to draw attention to his face. Despite himself, Hajime snorts, and Tooru immediately drops his hand, expression shining with a touch of disbelief.

 

"What?" Hajime mutters, half tempted to find a mirror. "What's wrong?"

 

"That's the first time I've heard you come even close to a laugh, Iwa-chan!" Tooru whispers excitedly. "You sound so cute!"

 

Hajime grumbles something that's supposed to sound like an insult, but the effect is ruined by his smile that refuses to go away.

 

* * *

 

During the practice that day, Hajime nails almost every light. The timing is only slightly off when he has more than one light to handle. The props are almost all finished, and the people that move the props have the routine down pat. Issei has the curtain movements perfected and the cues for the orchestra are scripted carefully. The actors are getting giddy with anticipation, and it shows on their faces when the happy scenes become even more joyous. Hajime has a smile on his face as he watches them perform without the script, only a couple of actors stopping to ask for their line.

 

As the rehearsal comes to an end and minor changes for the ending scene are made, Hajime points the final spotlight to Tooru.

 

And then, the actor himself looks directly at Hajime (shouldn't the light be obscuring him from Tooru?) and _winks._

 

Oh, Hajime thinks, he's going to get so much shit for this later from Takahiro and Issei.

 

* * *

 

Sure enough, Issei immediately demands a group Skype, to which Hajime can only sigh and agree.

 

Issei's the first to connect, a knowing smirk taking over his features. Hajime loses track of his sighs. Once Takahiro connects, all hell breaks loose.

 

"So, how about that wink?" Takahiro starts the conversation.

 

"What the fuck." Hajime expresses, and Issei nods in understanding.

 

"He totally just winked at _you._ " Takahiro states gleefully.

 

"What the _fuck._ " Hajime repeats, with _emotion._

 

Issei sighs.

 

"Hajime, I think that you're hopeless." Issei informs him, and the man in question can't help but agree.

 

"I don't know how to tell him, though. Does he even–"

 

"I _swear_ on my _life,_ Iwaizumi Hajime, if you say 'does he even like me' I will throw you into the sun." Takahiro states seriously. "That man has been giving you heart-eyes since the day you met him."

 

Hajime has the decency to blush (albeit only slightly).

 

"Okay, but how do I ask him out? Do I, like, just text him?"

 

"No." Takahiro and Issei respond synonymously. Then, Issei leans forward.

 

"How about after practice? Just take him out for coffee or something." He suggests, and Takahiro hums in agreement. Hajime, however, frowns.

 

"But, we already went for coffee, so wouldn't it feel like me friend-zoning him?" Hajime asks, forehead creasing slightly. Takahiro gasps, and Issei looks disappointed.

 

"You _already_ went on a coffee date?" Takahiro all but screeches, hands going up to rub his temples.

 

"Hajime, man, I thought you knew better than this." Issei reprimands.

 

"I thought it was just an invitation to hang out!" Hajime defends, but it's weak and his friends know it.

 

"Okay, look, take him out for coffee again, but this time don't let it be to 'hang out' or that bull. Let him know you're interested." Takahiro advises, and Issei nods at the wise words.

 

"Fine, fine." Hajime grumbles. "Goodnight, assholes."

 

"We love you too!" Issei and Takahiro chorus, and the Skype ends, leaving Hajime to his thoughts. He decides to send a text.

 

Me: _u up for coffee tmrw after rehearsal?_

 

Tooru responds almost immediately.

 

Tooru: _ofc!!! i love to spend time w my fav iwachan!!!! cya then!!!!_

 

Hajime smiles to himself as he turns off his phone and goes to sleep.

 

* * *

 

Rehearsal is long and grueling that day. The opening show is in exactly two weeks and it's clear that the entire cast and crew is stressing. Although the practice ends with little error, Hajime can tell by the way that everyone is twitchy. Tooru runs his hands through his hair more than usual, and one of the other actors, Watari Shinji, shifts his weight from foot to foot.

 

Their acting, of course, is stellar as usual, and Hajime manages to time all the lighting perfectly. It's going to be a spectacular show, that much Hajime can already tell.

 

Everyone is exhausted by the time they're done, and Tooru is no exception. He's surprisingly quiet on the way to the café, looking out the window and glancing at Hajime every now and then.

 

Once they arrive, Tooru is quick to order and relaxes in his booth seat, slumping over the table.

 

"Iwa-chan," Tooru whines, "I'm so tired. I could fall asleep right here!"

 

"Hey, just wait for your coffee, Stupidkawa." Hajime retorts, having none of that. He's tired too, damn it. Tooru brightens up at the familiar nickname, although he hides it well by pouting.

 

"Iwa-chan, why are you never nice to me?" Tooru pouts, folding his arms.

 

"Because I like you, you stupid idiot." Hajime says, mouth working faster than his brain.

 

Tooru freezes. Hajime freezes. There's a brief staring contest.

 

"I-I mean–" Hajime starts, but Tooru interrupts him.

 

"Hajime." Tooru starts, and that's how he knows it's serious. "Do you mean it?"

 

"Yes." Hajime says hesitantly, taking a little bit of pride in how he doesn't stutter.

 

"Hajime." Tooru says again, still serious. "I like you too."

 

Hajime, then, starts laughing. He can't help it, it's the most anti-climactic confession he's ever heard of. It takes Tooru a moment, but he starts laughing as well.

 

"That was terrible." Hajime says, still chuckling.

 

"I know, oh my _God,_ Iwa-chan." Tooru cries, slapping Hajime lightly on the arm.

 

They talk light-heartedly for the rest of the night (and if their hands are intertwined on the tabletop, that's nobody's business but their own).

 

* * *

 

The night before the big show, Tooru is at Hajime's apartment, falling apart.

 

"Iwa-chan," Tooru wails, big fat tears rolling down his cheeks, "what if I mess everything up? What if I forget my lines? What if–"

 

"No." Hajime says gruffly. When Tooru looks at him questioningly, he continues. "You're not going to mess everything up, you're not going to forget your lines, you're _not going to_. And if you're feeling the nerves onstage, then just remember I'm right up there with the lights cheering you on."

 

Tooru sniffles.

 

"Iwa-chan, you belong among the lights. You're so brilliant and I don't know if I can handle the brilliance being trained on me."

 

"You can handle anything." Hajime says confidently, and that's that.

 

They sleep peacefully through the night.

 

* * *

 

Then comes performance day. After the run-down, the theater is mayhem, stage crew scrambling to re-position everything and the artists doing their magic on the actors. Hajime, who's toying with the lights and resetting them again, is lost in thought when a voice floats up to him.

 

"Hajime!" Issei shouts.

 

"What's up?" Hajime yells back, moving a spotlight a fraction.

 

"Takahiro's about to spontaneously combust because he can't find all of the broom props!" Issei responds. Hajime sighs.

 

"Be right down!"

 

* * *

 

The spectators begin to enter the theater at 7:00pm sharp, and Hajime gives Tooru a quick kiss on the cheek (cue the swoons from Takahiro and Issei) before heading to his place.

 

The chatter of the audience dies down as the orchestra plays a perfect select few notes, and the curtains fall away.

 

* * *

 

The performance goes beautifully, as expected. Hajime manages to do his job despite being captivated by Tooru's commanding presence. He fills his role well, and Hajime's never been more proud in his life.

 

The bow comes and goes, and Hajime thinks he sees a tear sliding down Tooru's face (he doesn't comment on it).

 

Later, as the cast and crew hug and celebrate, Hajime only has eyes for a certain star actor.

 

Tooru only has time to squeak in surprise as Hajime sweeps him up into an embrace, squeezing him tightly and letting a few tears run down his face. He'll never be more thankful for Tooru somehow ending up at this theater, at this time, and with this much passion.

 

"Stop that, Iwa-chan, so embarrassing!" Tooru scolds, but his voice wavers. And that, along with many other moments when Hajime could get lost in Tooru's smile, or is caught breathless because of Tooru's passion, is enough to make Hajime laugh and grin and kiss Tooru with a fire enough to rival that of the sun.

 

And in that moment, behind the curtain, while the others laugh and cry and celebrate, Hajime swears he's never felt more alive.

**Author's Note:**

> thank you so much for reading!! if you're willing, leave a comment and tell me what you think! i really appreciate you guys for sticking with me until the end,, what a wild ride
> 
> and i hope you guys enjoyed my work!!


End file.
